The PM’s father has been accused of groping Senior Tory MP Caroline Nokes, and journalist Ailbhe Rea
Former Minister Caroline Nokes has accused the prime minister’s father, Stanley Johnson, of touching her inappropriately at the Conservative Party conference in 2003.
Nokes told Sky News that Johnson had smacked her “on the backside about as hard as he could” and said “you’ve got a lovely seat” at the event in Blackpool.
Journalist Ailbhe Rea has said she was also groped by the former MEP at the Conservative Party conference in 2019.
Stanley Johnson also groped me at a party at Conservative conference in 2019.
I am grateful to Caroline Nokes for calling out something that none of us should have to put up with, not least from the Prime Minister's father. https://t.co/Uf6lEdatux
— Ailbhe Rea (@PronouncedAlva) November 15, 2021
Nokes, who is the current Chair of the Women and Equalities Select Committee, had been a prospective parliamentary candidate for Southampton North in the 2005 general election when the incident took place. Caroline Nokes has since held that seat from 2010.
Speaking to Sky’s Beth Rigby, Nokes said “I would have been in my early 30s, so old enough, old enough to call it out.
“I now regard it as a duty, an absolute duty, to call out wherever you see it. Be the noisy, aggravating, aggressive woman in the room because if I’m not prepared to do that, then my daughter won’t be prepared to do that… you do get to a point where you go ‘up with this, I will not put’.”
The comments were made during a panel discussion between four prominent female MPs about how to confront violence against women in the wake of the murder of Sarah Everard. The event was hosted by Sky News.
Following Caroline Nokes’ claims, journalist Ailbhe Rea who has written for the New Statesman since 2019, said: “Stanley Johnson also groped me at a party at Conservative conference in 2019
“I am grateful to Caroline Nokes for calling out something that none of us should have to put up with, not least from the Prime Minister’s father.”
Responding to Caroline Nokes’ allegation, Stanley Johnson said: “I have no recollection of Caroline Nokes at all – but there you go. And no reply… good luck and thanks.”
Johnson Senior is yet to respond to requests for comment regarding Ailbhe Rea.
The Home Office minister and Conservative MP Damian Hinds said on Tuesday: “We take these issues extremely seriously” and there should be an investigation into the claims “if that’s the appropriate course of action”.
Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary, Nick Thomas-Symonds, urged the Tories to launch an investigation.
Speaking on Times Radio he said: “Caroline Nokes is a very senior member of Parliament. She’s the chair of the Women and Equalities committee.
“But whether it is a very senior member of Parliament, whether it is anybody who attended that party conference, whoever the victim is, it is for us to listen to the victim, to treat their allegation extremely seriously and sensitively.
“This is an allegation being made about a specific incident at the Conservative Party conference and I would expect the Conservative Party to investigate it.”
Stanley Johnson has been contacted for comment.
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